Blind Attraction
by Desolate Psychopath
Summary: Vincent Nightray had a plan to get rid of Xerxes Break, he never ventured to realize just how far in over his head he was really going to get. Rated M for later chapters and possible violence.
1. Contact

**Hello dear readers, it's been quite a long time since I've written anything and I just wanted to take the time to say**

**This fan fic is so much fun to do! **

**This is Yaoi: BoyxBoy, don't like, don't read. **

**Also Pandora Hearts is (c) by Jun Mochizuki - Bow to the awesomeness. **

**This is also not written by just yours truly but one of the coolest people I know, I love you Breaky, and thanks so much for helping me.**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter One: Contact<span>**

Vincent Nightray stared out the glass window of the Nightray manor, watching the rain outside pour down in a steady downpour, streaks sliding off the clear pane, and giving a surprisingly comforting feeling. He felt as if the whole world was crying; tears that everyone could witness and bare a presence to. Things he could never show in front of the world, the world showed to him. A clap of thunder nearly shook the entire manor with its fury but it did nothing to snap him out of his mood. Lately, he'd been feeling the need to get back at a certain Mad Hatter. The feelings that were roiling deep under his skin, refused to be sated with these fiery thoughts of consuming the man in his hatred, making him a very part of the disgusting thing that he thought himself to be. He would dispose of Xerxes Break! "Vincent-sama." He paused in his cutting of the soft plush rabbit, multi-colored eyes fixating on the silverette. "Echo has disposed of the things in the basement as you asked her." She then excused herself with a light bow after he waved her off, and disappeared down the hall.

He didn't understand. What could he possibly do to bring the Hatter here and make him believe his words to be honest? Standing up, he crossed the room to the wardrobe, throwing the mahogany doors open with a soft thud. Inside the cabinet was his best outfit for outings: plays, balls, and social gatherings had all bore witness to this disguise. This simple yet elegant outfit crafted in blue, he even placed a hat upon his head, and had Echo bring him his more simple dress boots. After he gave himself a look over in the mirror, he decided he was ready to put his plan into motion. A man had to look good if he was going to make things work. After that, he took Echo along for a short trip to the market, picking out a box of expensive chocolates and a bouquet of the finest blue roses. They were a rare commodity considering they had to be bred in dye in order for them to exist at all; Vincent felt that in a strange way they fit. He then hand delivered them to the Rainsworth doorstep and told the maid that they were for Xerxes Break, and the albino male alone.

A soft girlish giggle escaped him as he just imagined the look on the Mad Hatter's face at receiving such luxurious gifts; him what he claimed: A mere servant of a duchess. Ah it was too classic. Every day since then, for an entire month, he would repeat the process of bestowing upon his least favorite person, those romantic and very embarrassing gifts. He started with simple roses at first, which quickly grew into bouquets consisting of lilies and baby's breath mixed in with those elegant blue roses. The boxes of chocolate became a mixed media of candies; everything from taffies to cake lollipops that he had custom-designed for the Hatter. Soon, he started delivering them underneath a shrouded cloak, taking careful care to hunch his shoulders just so, and stand at a posture that wasn't fit for a nobleman; to throw people off guard and the man himself should he be trying to peer through a window to watch for this admirer; catching a glimpse of what appeared to be nothing more than an old beggar.

From there he started writing Break little notes of affection, telling him about how lovely his hair was, or how beautiful his face looked in the sunlight; things that sounded astoundingly honest and almost stalker-like. He would always have one of his maids write it for him though, even taking care to buy special scented paper so that Xerxes could not trace it back to the Nightray manor. This game became more and more fun every day, and by the end of the month, he decided it was time for this "secret admirer" to reveal himself to his 'love'. It was a nice day outside, the man had considered it time and time again, and how he would best go about this. Today would not work. So he waited. For a long while he became slightly frustrated; there hadn't been a day perfect for the reveal in about a week since he decided that he was going to bring it to fruition. However, as he awoke several days later, the time had finally come. It was raining…hard. He religiously bought another bouquet, mixing in candy with it this time, as well as buying a huge basket full of assorted candies, lotions, and even bubble bath with a soft plush panda bear. Rabbits were disgusting, he refused to even consider giving one, before he wrapped it all up nicely and had his maid write one last note:

This admiring has gone on far too long. I wish to present myself to you.

Meet me at the back of Pandora in the garden, at midnight.

-Your Secret Admirer.

He had her seal it with the special seal he'd had made, simply for this task, and had her in the cloak present it to the Rainsworth House. Vincent then grabbed up his finest blue suit, the type he would often wear to an extravagant party, his finest boots, and headed off to buy a few more items for tonight. He came back several hours later and had the servants unpack everything and set it up. Looking over his work, he was mightily proud of himself; the curtains had been replaced with thick violet ones, so dark that they almost appeared red with the light playing on them, that plum that would often remind one of the beautiful grape wines that Duke Nightray often purchased for princesses that would come to visit so often.

The room itself was adorned in dark furniture, dark midnight colors, with dashes of color from adorned vases and present flowers, all ironically duplicates of the bouquets he had sent Xerxes. He pulled his hair back away from his eyes and left it dangling in a ponytail on his left shoulder; giving himself a glance over in the mirror one last time, before he turned and departed. It was nearing midnight as he entered the garden of the Pandora Building, the cloak draped over him like death. Carefully, he took a seat aside the fountain and waited.

Rain. It was a volatile liquid that formed in the air, combining to make clouds of moisture. When those clouds became laden down with water, they would turn a dark gray color and release it into the air, in different forms of precipitation depending on the temperature, climate, weather and other such things. Today, it was warm, slightly muggy, so the moisture fell to the earth as raindrops. There was quite a lot of it, too, and the sky was a dark sullen color, washing out all the brightness of the world. It was as if the earth had become depressed.

"Ah...I failed."

Xerxes Break frowned to himself as he sat on the window seat cushion, one leg propped up with his foot on it, supporting his upper body as he hunched over and stared out the water-logged glass pane. Putting rain into scientific terms hadn't helped him feel any better; he'd only reverted to metaphors again. His single crimson eye scanned the world outside the Rainsworth manor, finding nothing of interest, save for a man and a woman running for shelter from the rain. The man was holding a newspaper over the woman's head and they scurried under an awning on the side of the road, laughing together. Break couldn't help but scowl at their happiness, as if they were purposely trying to mock his depression.

Darkness was something that swirled around him often lately, even Sharon had noticed, he knew, though she never said a word about it to him. He'd seen the worried glances the girl would give him and tried to put on his best smile, shoving candy into his mouth and laughing it off. Of all the things he least wanted, it was to worry her. But the smiles were becoming more and more strained, harder to form, even harder to hold, and the fake laughter hurt his face. Despite his increase in the intake of sugar, the albino was getting thinner and thinner, as he compromised the larger consumption by hunting for chains on a daily basis, often working himself to the bone and coming home completely exhausted. It wasn't good, but if he was busy doing something, he could forget, at least for a little while. Forgetting was what he wanted most of all.

Break sighed and dug a hand into his pouch slung on his coat, pulling out a hard candy and starting to unwrap it. He no longer had to hide the secret of Kevin Regnard; most of his 'close acquaintances', as he refused to call them 'friends', knew about his past more or less. But they didn't know the pain it caused him day after day. He was the silly clown in their eyes, always smiling, laughing, joking and teasing. He was the comic relief. Xerxes Break could never be upset, oh no, he was just a sugar addict who found pleasure in talking to dolls like a child. He was the contractor of Mad Hatter, so that must mean he was insane. The candy stopped an inch from his mouth as the man grit his teeth. Comic relief. A clown. Insane. That was all he was to them. A friend, Alice had said? Yea, right. When she defined friendship as people using each other, he hadn't said a word, pretending he agreed, but he didn't at all. Break's hand crushed the candy as he denied himself eating it, dropping the sugary fragments onto the seat in front of him. He was nothing but a crazy old man with no friends.

The subject of insanity dragged his thoughts in a direction he hadn't wanted them to go. There was one person who might just understand a little of how he felt, but of course it was the one man he hated the most. Vincent Nightray. The brother of Gilbert Nightray was nothing like the tall, dark, handsome and adorably awkward man. His hair was blonde and his eyes were hauntingly heterochromatic. He smiled in such a convincing way that no one could possibly see the secrets he hid beneath that flawless mask. He traipsed about Gilbert whenever he visited, exclaiming about his beloved brother and hugging him fondly as if everything was perfect, when in reality, Gil never liked his hugs, never wanted to see him and whenever he was around, continuously prayed for the blonde to leave and the hell to be over. Break's eye drifted away from the window to stare down at his lap. Vincent might be convincing everyone else, but he knew. He knew what pain the man was really going through, how much every giggle and every grin made him want to puke at how fake it was and how disgusting it was that people bought the act so blindly. He knew how much Vincent most likely wanted to kill himself because the person he thought the highest of disliked him so openly and was obsessed with someone else, giving no thought to how his younger brother might feel. He knew, because he was exactly the same way.

Perhaps that was why he hated Vincent so much. He didn't hate the man himself, but the things he was doing. He hated watching the Nightray fall further and further into darkness that it would consume him completely, if it hadn't already. He hated watching someone make the exact same mistakes he did, feel the same painful emotions he did, and degrade himself so terribly like he did. It felt as if he was looking at a reflection, and it disgusted him. Mirrors always had; he never kept any in his room. Break admitted he was afraid of them, because he had tried so hard to forget about the existence of the very person that would stare right back at him whenever he was unfortunate enough to make eye contact with a reflective surface, mocking him, showing him that no matter how hard he tried, Kevin Regnard and his terrible, gross, stupid mistakes would forever be a part of him.

Thunder cracked and jolted Xerxes Break out of his brooding. Rain still fell heavily and the man snorted, falling backwards so he was lying on his back on the seat and staring at a cobweb on the ceiling. He wanted out of this house. He had planned to go chain hunting as usual and escape the Pandora paperwork as well as having to look at Sharon's pained expression every time she saw his withering body and hidden agony. She didn't need to see him starve himself and fall into bed at night so tired he couldn't move, yet still be unable to sleep whatsoever. In fact, this very morning, as he'd been about to leave to do his usual rounds, Sharon saw his bony frame and weary face and demanded that he stay home to get some rest. That was why he was currently stuck here, unable to distract himself, unable to forget. Perhaps he should simply sit here and waste away until he was nothing but a air, symbolically becoming the very thing he had once been called: a Red-Eyed Ghost. It would be a fitting way to disappear.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

"Door! Door! Go get it~!" Emily blabbered and Break sat up, blinking over in the direction of the entry way. A distraction, how convenient! He slid off the window seat, but a maid had already scurried over and answered the door. Pouting, he plopped back down on the seat, but to his confusion, the maid soon came in and approached him.

"Oh my! What is this?" Break stated his surprise as he was handed a brightly-colored box of fine chocolates, along with some rather remarkable, and oddly familiar, blue roses. What a romantic package! He had no idea Lady Sharon had such an admirer, as he supposed these gifts were meant for her. However, the maid informed him they were for himself and he stared. Who would send him this sort of thing? He couldn't have a secret admirer, he was nothing much to look at and a servant after all. Could he? Baffled, he brought the flowers into the kitchen to find a vase.

For the next three weeks, Break continued to get chocolate, candy, flowers and gifts, steadily growing in size and cost, yet always with the same blue roses. The admirer would send him embarrassing notes that were definitely not true, he was sure of it, and it only added to his confusion. To his great distress, one day Sharon found a gift basket and immediately squealed, delighted. Since then, she always tried to guess who the admirer was and looked over every gift like a detective, nodding in seriousness but with a little blush on her face that always brought dread to Break's stomach. He knew that look. It was the scary fangirl look, and heaven help anyone who disagreed with her when she was like that. The 'love gifts' were getting to be so much that he wished the person would simply show her face so he could let her down gently and the madness could stop! If, that is, the person was a girl. From the appearance of the gifts, it was as if Break was the girl, which disturbed him. No one, not even Sharon, knew of his sexual orientation. Even he hated to admit to himself that he found both females and males attractive, and for this admirer to send such feminine gifts and tokens, it was suspiciously becoming more and more apparent that it was a male. How did the man know he liked men? Perhaps it was someone with a lot of information at hand?

Break's stomach dropped and his face went white. Oh, oh no. What if it was...

"Rufus...?"

Emily burst into laughter and he doubled over in a state of absolute horror, hugging his pillow and curling up on his bed. Never, no! Oh dear god, please let it not be Rufus Barma! He didn't know if he could stand it.

Finally, just as Break thought he was cursed to be plagued by the love baskets for eternity, a final one was sent along with a stuffed panda bear holding a note between its paws. The Rainsworth servant plucked the letter from the bear and sat Indian style on his bed, unconsciously squishing the panda tightly to his chest as he read.

_This admiring has gone on far too long. I wish to present myself to you._

_Meet me at the back of Pandora in the garden, at midnight._

_-Your Secret Admirer._

Xerxes let out a cry of victory and threw the letter in the air, laughing insanely in pure excitement. Finally! It had finally happened!

"I can get him (because he'd decided it had to be a him) to stop this nonsense at last!" the man exclaimed, falling onto his stomach and rolling on the bed, making a mess of the sheets in his glee. He clung to the panda happily and held it up in the air, smiling at it. "Finally, Mister Panda! My salvation is here~" The stuffed animal stared back at him blankly through its glass eyes. Emily stared at Break and agreed with the plushie. The man had lost it.

Of course he wasn't able to keep the meeting a secret from Sharon, and she attacked him with a bit of makeup, hair products, frills, silky fabric and shiny objects. She insisted that he look his best for the rendezvous and primped him to perfection, floating on air in her own little happy fujoshi heaven. Break sat through it patiently and faced his fear of mirrors to check her work. Sharon had dressed him in a dark purple silk vest with pinstripes and a white dress shirt with slightly oversized sleeves, fitting his style. He wore white gloves and black slacks with black dress shoes and she gave him a silver tipped cane and a purple top hat to match the vest with a black silk ribbon and a white fake rose. Even Xerxes had to admit he looked pretty good in her handiwork. Grabbing a fancy purple jacket, matching the outfit of course, he escaped Sharon's squeals of joy and headed eagerly over to Pandora to meet his mystery man. The insanity had to stop.

The hatter just barely stopped himself from running to Pandora in his excitement. Being doted on was all nice and all, really. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the sentiment, but it was reaching a ridiculous level and he didn't want the poor person to get the wrong idea. How could he possibly return such feelings when he didn't even know who it was? Besides that, how could he return feelings in the first place? He was hardly deserving of such an emotion as love. Break wouldn't allow himself to fall in love. He couldn't, not with all the problems he had and the fact that his eyesight was growing weaker and weaker by the day. He wouldn't be around much longer. It was useless to put someone through the pain of such a short-lived relationship, so he'd spare them. It was easier to just suffer through the loneliness himself.

Finally, he arrived at the building in question and came to an abrupt halt. Here he was. The garden was just around back. In it, awaited the mystery person. It was time to stop the incessant gifts once and for all, yet, Break couldn't bring himself to move his feet. The crickets chirped in his moment of silent hesitation and his eye widened. What was he hesitating for? Why was he having second thoughts? He wanted this to be over with! The man let out a frustrated snort and forced his foot to take a step forward, resuming his path to the back of Pandora. That was weird. He'd try to forget about it.

Upon reaching the garden, Break spotted a figure sitting on the edge of the fountain draped in a dark cloak and his breath caught in his throat. This person was the one who'd sent him those confusing notes, who had called him beautiful, complimented his eye, his hair, who had completely creeped him out and yet made his heart feel just a little bit warmer all the same. Shaking his head, Break shoved that thought in the back of his mind and locked it away, adjusting his top hat and strolling nonchalantly up to the person as if he was completely calm. Hatter laughed at his nervousness but he ignored it, offering the 'admirer' one of his signature friendly smiles and placed his gloved hand on his chest in greeting.

"Well~! You must be the delightful person who's been sending me all the lovely gifts, ne? Now I'm finally able to meet you! I've been looking forward to this moment." he chirped pleasantly. Yea, looking forward to ending it, that is.

The garden was quiet as he placed his hand upon the fountain, touching the cold alabaster stone. The only noise was that of the crickets chirping happily amongst themselves, almost as if they knew all along that Vincent didn't really mean what he was doing. Did he? He blinked when he heard a familiar voice, managing to keep the gasp in, considering he hadn't even heard Break approaching. He must not get distracted! He stood and just grinned, he was sure Break could see at least his mouth under the cloak. The moment he spoke, he would give himself away, no one else had quite the same voice as he did. He grabbed the cloak and tossed it back, finally revealing his face to the Mad Hatter. "Well hello there, I'm glad you liked your gifts, Mr. Hatter." He gave Break an elegant bow, taking his hand and giving it a dainty polite kiss. "I am pleased." This was going to work, even if it killed him.

Break stood stock still as the figure rose, almost gracefully, more serene than anything, and faced him. The hood of the cloak covered the person's face, but he instantly felt a shiver run down his spine as the mouth beneath the hood curved into a grin. What kind of person was this? Out of the corner of his eye he spotted some blue roses and blinked, trying not to look in that direction. This was so familar. A garden. Blue roses. Night...- Before Break could put two and two together, the person before him flung off the hood and he was forced to swallow his gasp as he recognized the face of none other than Vincent Nightray. The blonde's words went straight in one ear and out the other, because Break was too busy staring in shock. Out of everyone possible...Vincent? He wasn't seeing things was he? His eyesight couldn't be -that- bad yet? All of these thoughts flew through his brain in a moment's time and Break quickly broke into a cool smile, determined not to let Vincent see he'd been flustered, if he hadn't already. "Well, well, well. What a surprise. I never would have guessed you were behind this, mister rat~" He chuckled. "Playing a clever prank?" Because that had to be it.

Seeing that shocked expression, was just too beautiful, every feature in the man's face showed complete and utter denial at first. He couldn't keep himself from grinning more, Break insisted this a joke of course. He was going to try and write it away, as Vincent often would his sins, and that simply wasn't going to happen. "A prank?" The blonde looked a bit hurt, even placing a hand over his heart, as if he had been thoroughly insulted. "Whatever could you be talking about? I simply realized my total admiration for you~" He stated, taking the man's hands in his own and looking totally honest. "I think I'm in love with you, Mr. Hatter." He suppressed the urge to gag at his own words. His beautiful face never wavering in his smile.

The poor hatter kept his face completely calm, despite how much he was shocked beyond belief inside. This had to be a prank, because there wasn't a chance in a lifetime that Vincent Nightray was capable of such affection toward -him- of all people. The Nightray's next words, however, took him for a turn and Break visibly flinched in surprise, his face faltering a little before regaining composure. "Haha..." he inwardly cursed, even his laugh was nervous! "...my dear Vincent, I believe you must have had too much to drink or perhaps you're sick?" He forced himself to lean forward and press a hand to the top of Vincent's forehead as if sincerely concerned for his health. This was going too far for a prank. Hearing 'I'm in love with you' hurt, because he knew it'd never really happen in his life. "Maybe you should lay down."

For a moment, he considered laughing in Break's face, but that would ruin the careful work he set up, so instead he offered a hurt smile. This was a genuinely hurt one, for a different reason than Break's obvious disbelief; hurt for his own reasons. "I am terribly sorry if you were expecting someone else." He coughed into his hand, releasing Break's from his grip around the same time, his arms carefully wrapping around himself in a hug as Break felt his forehead for a fever that wasn't there. "Like perhaps Niisan?" There was a bite to that last sentence, as his multicolored eyes focused on the man whom just told him perhaps he should be laying down. He huffed a bit indignantly, eying Break with a slightly colder stare. "Sorry to disappoint you." Screw holding anything back on this part.

Break blinked at the hurt-sounding comment, his nervous act faltering yet again. Perhaps it was the fact that they were both putting up false fronts and both knew it that he found it easier to drop out of his, even if just a little. They both knew they were faking it, so why bother? Why kid himself? Break's shaky smile faded. "Raven? No, I wasn't expecting him at all. He's much to wrapped up with the children. Plus, he wouldn't possibly be able to send such notes." Bringing reason into this was a better idea, though he still didn't know what to make of the confession. Was it real? Vincent did seem genuinely hurt. Break felt weird. "Mm..." he paused, pulling his hand away from the blonde's head and glanced aside. "...forgive me, r-...Vincent. I was just so surprised I hadn't even allowed myself an open mind...though I must admit I'm confused. How is it that you came to...mm...have these 'feelings' for me?" The albino hid a tiny hint of a blush with a soft chuckle. "Last I recall, you hated my guts."

This he could at least be honest with. Looking down at his fancy leather boots, he considered his words, before showing that cheerful smile; this was a slightly softer one. "Ah, but I've never hated you, Mr. Hatter." He corrected, taking a step away and turning his back on the man that he considered his greatest threat after all, not many could match him in intelligence and power. Break wasn't even his equal in physical strength, but that chain of his, that could pose a problem later. "I must admit to truth, I was angry. The hatred was a mask I wore to hide my jealousy of the older brother whom receives such love from everyone. He is truly amazing." He felt his eyes narrow as he stared back at the daunting reflection, the mask wasn't slipping. "My brother whom can get anyone to love him, I hate him for that. Yet I cannot hate him at all. I was angry with you because you always look at him; you've been looking at the wrong brother the whole time." He chuckled, "Perhaps instead of looking to Gil for this much needed affection, you should open your eyes, Break-san." Vincent felt the cloak nearly dance as he twirled to face the man who was burdened with every emotion and then some; never given a choice to otherwise prove to the others, he was not what he seemed. They were too similar.

Break listened quietly, surprised Emily wasn't commenting, but she must know that this wasn't in fact a joke but something highly more serious. He stood there, silent and unsmiling this time, until Vincent faced him again. The burden of what he'd said weighed on him possibly more than Vincent realized and Break closed his solitary eye for a moment in thought. He -had- admittedly had eyes for Gil for a while, but soon found that he was no match against Oz: the boy stole the raven's full attention. Just as Vincent had been brushed off, so had he. And now, here Vincent was saying that he'd never hated him and perhaps he was looking at the wrong brother? Break didn't know what to make of it. It made sense, and that's what scared him. He had promised himself never to fall in love or get involved, but here the rat was, acting the least like a rat and offering what he really wanted to him. Break's eyebrows knit together and he let out a sigh, speaking softly. "We're too much alike..." It wasn't even aimed at Vincent, he was stating the fact. His head lifted slowly and he gave the other a tiny sliver of a smile. "...I...honestly don't know how to respond..." He paused, then absolutely had to ask: "...did you really mean everything you said in the notes?"

Listening to him quietly, the fair haired male simply stared right through him, his eyes far away. He had wanted nothing more than to be loved by his most precious person, contrary to popular belief; he hadn't slept with a single person due to his resignation of his love for the brother that would never return his feelings. Something clenched in his chest then and he was determined to bury it in the back of his mind, forget about these foolish emotions, and simply use the other like he had been planning from the beginning. Break stated that there was no room for unneeded emotions to Gil once before, right? He blinked out of his rambling thoughts when he heard the silver haired male speak once more; eyes widening in slight surprise when he asked him if he'd meant those most precious and love-filled words. Could he answer without seeming false? "You're quite enchanting." He stated, moving closer and leaning a bit to look into the crimson eye that was twin to his own, "And only someone such as you, could possibly begin to understand one such as me." He stated, smiling charmingly.

Xerxes felt conflict start to brew within him, annoyed that he was even considering what Vincent confessed to, but he had grown weak, and not just in body. It was harder to resist this, mostly because he'd never had to resist it before. No one had shown interest in him. Vincent's words placed him in another state of disbelief, still surprised that the Nightray could possibly like him, let alone think he was attractive in any way. He wasn't. He was, however, a bit spellbound by those enticing eyes. Maybe...just for a little, short while...he could indulge? Vincent was obviously fine with it and he was drawn to him in more ways than one. Break felt slight color rise to his face and he glanced away from those eyes, looking down at his feet and removing his top hat from his head. "...well, I ..." Break swallowed and looked up again, trying to remind himself to keep a level head about this and be confident. "...I would be willing to try something." He could do this, he could let himself have a little sliver of joy, right? As long as he didn't allow himself to fall in love with Vincent, it would be fine. Wouldn't it?

Vincent couldn't stop the smile from coming to his face. Break was playing right into his hands, throwing himself into them really, and he found himself offering his own out to the man whom seemed too nervous still. "Ah? That's wonderful!" he exclaimed, sounding excited. Just the thought of getting this man alone, unprotected, and vulnerable…it was enticing. The man really had no idea, or rather didn't care, that he was placing himself into a dangerous situation. Vincent didn't realize he was struggling a bit himself, just writing off everything as part of his plan, and keeping the hand out to the Hatter. "I have one more gift to give." He stated calmly, his expression still as charming as a prince. "But it's basking in the Nightray manor, you'll have to accompany me back to see it, will you join me?" It sounded strange to his ears.

Break's expression softened a little at the sight of Vincent's smile; even if it may be fake, it appeared the most real of any he'd ever seen. He slowly realized that he did actually want to see the other happy; it was like looking at his past and watching it change. If only he could have been happy back then...but since the past was the past, perhaps he could help this person avoid the same fate and take pleasure in seeing him succeed instead. It might be just what he needed to stop the self-hatred and embrace who he was once more. As it was, Break was more than willing to be compliant to anything right now, having gained that outlook on the whole situation, and gave Vincent a small, fragile, but true smile, placing his hand in the other's. "You're going to spoil me, Vincent Nightray."

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><p><strong>Well that's the end of chapter 1 hope you enjoyed it! If you did, leave a comment, we'd love to hear from you.~!<strong>

**I'll try to have chapter 2 up as soon as possible: Next chapter: _Don't Cry Over A Spoiled Hatter._**


	2. Don't Cry Over A Spoiled Hatter

**Whelp the second chapter is finally here! Sorry for the wait. **

**It was particularly long but we finally got it done. Once again thanks for the support and love**

**Characters are copywrited by Jun Mochizuki**

Please Enjoy

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><p>Chapter 2: Don't Cry Over a Spoiled Hatter<p>

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><p>Break had no idea what he was really in for. The ride back to the manor was interesting, the Hatter did not trust him still, but was willing to come along at the very least to see what else there was. The two of them sat in comfortable silence until the carriage pulled to a stop some half an hour or so later in front of the manor, the trees that seemed to hide it from view of the main road were well trimmed and shapely, the stairs were the first thing that would catch a person's eye aside from the glorious fountain in the center of the front courtyard. The door to Vincent's side was opened for him, revealing a head of silver-blue hair, lifeless eyes, belonging to the girl that always seemed to be at his side. Stepping out of the carriage carefully, he allowed Echo to close the door behind him, coming around the front to open Xerxes' side. Without further ado, he pulled the man from the carriage gently, tugging him inside. The manor was decorated in lush colors, all matching the various bouquets, ivy vines were carefully planted over walls; the Nightray manor looked more like a beautiful garden rather than a normal nobleman's home.<p>

He was pleased with the results to say the least. "Now then, Break. Your present is in here." Vince stated calmly, leading him down the hall to one of the rooms, pushing it open and revealing the candy bouquets, the assortment of food and drink, and a cozy fire; almost as if he had taken the time to prepare a makeshift date without even knowing how the Hatter would react to the letter and reveal. "I prepared a special party in your honor." Those plum dark curtains helped to make the candy and the bouquets pop out even more, it was truly something to behold. He had really taken the time to make this area particularly special.

There were a lot of things going through Xerxes Break's head as he was taken to the Nightray manor, one of the most prominent being the Hatter grumbling in his head about how foolish he was to go with the blonde Nightray. He ignored that voice quite readily, too curious to worry much about what Vincent might have in store for him. If anything, he could fight back if he absolutely had to. Break was grateful for the silence on the carriage ride, not wanting to converse any more with the other at the moment. Was he stupid in admitting to himself that he'd never hated Vincent to begin with? The man had done things he disapproved highly of, yes, but he wasn't an evil person. Break couldn't honestly say he ever did hate him. As they arrived, he allowed Vincent to help him out of the carriage, indulging in whatever fancies the Nightray had about treating him as a woman.

Sharon often pretended he was a lady as well, so it wasn't new, nor did it bother him. The hatter glanced around curiously at the decorations in the manor as they entered, not missing the colors and flowers that matched the bouquets he'd been sent. Vincent had planned this all out in a surprising level of detail. Break had to hand it to him and couldn't help wondering if the man was actually sincere about his proclaimed feelings for him. He followed Vincent down the hall to a room and once the door was opened, he lost his cool for a brief moment. Not only was it beautifully decorated, more than the rest of the manor, but there was candy everywhere. His stomach made a silent rumble and he put one hand on it almost as if to shut it up, stepping inside and turning to face Vincent with a practiced smile. "I'm flattered. This is really all for me? You've outdone yourself, Vincent~"

The statement brought a smile to his face, it seemed sweet there on his beautiful face, but even if it were a fake one; there would be no way to truly tell. Vince only kept his hands neatly folded behind his back, watching Break with predatory eyes that quickly flickered to a practiced bright and well-natured expression when he turned back to him. "But of course~!" Vincent cooed at him sincerely, taking the small couple of steps that it required to get to the Hatter, wrapping an arm around his waist comfortably. "Everything's all for you, I took artful care and time into making sure every last detail was absolutely perfect." He even had a fondue fountain with more of those cake lollipops that he knew Break was bound to be in love with by now.

"Is it not wonderful, Xerxes?" He asked in excitement, letting go of his waist and walking over to take a glass, pouring a bit of drink into it and handing it out to the other man. "It's just us two for now, so let's take some time to get to know each other a little better, what do you say?" Even though they knew each other fairly well all things considered. The fire flickered and cracked a bit at the wood behind Vincent, but his demeanor didn't change.

Break felt something stir in his stomach at the sight of Vincent's smile, giving him a smooth one back and even going so far as to lean slightly closer to him as the hand drifted around his waist. He had promised to give Vincent a chance, so he was staying true to his word. "I did notice the care you took with those endless baskets." he commented with a bit of a teasing tone, still wondering why the blonde would go to such lengths for him. "You have a good eye for detail." He accepted the glass from Vincent readily, tilting his head at the question and answering with another smile. "Of course! I'd like to spend time with you that doesn't involve blades being brandished." Break chuckled a little and maneuvered through what he considered to be heaven on earth: tables of candy and cakes and chocolates...and those lollipops! However, he restrained himself, for now at least, and took a seat next to the fire, sipping at his drink without sniffing it or checking for any sort of poison or other substance in it. That sort of action would be insulting to Vincent, plus he had a feeling the blonde wouldn't try anything anyway.

Watching how the other just took the glass and sipped from it without even checking first, really made him smile for once, because that had been the first time anyone had done so. Thankfully, he hadn't done anything to the drinks or any of the refreshments for that matter; he had to take careful care to make sure that the other could trust him without doubt. It would take some time but it would be well worth it in the long run. The thoughts swirled in his mind until he noticed that the Hatter was settled next to the fire looking rather peaceful. "It's nice to see you relaxing for once." He commented, shuffling over and taking a seat beside him, resting his head against the albino's shoulder and closing his odd colored eyes. "So what's your favorite thing to do, hm?" This place was nice and relaxing; cozied up by the fire like this. In a twisted kind of way that he didn't really understand, this was rather nice.

The drink, Break discovered, was actually a mixture of wine and a certain type of very dark chocolate that had been melted into liquid, giving it a bittersweet flavor that he fell in love with right away, even if he was subconsciously counting up just how many calories it had. Vincent's voice broke through the count and Break blinked for a moment before erasing the idea of food being fattening for once. This whole spread was so delicious-looking that he just didn't care right now. Break smiled slightly and turned to look at the other, only to feel a soft weight against his shoulder and realize Vincent was resting on him. He let him lean there and hummed as he took a bigger sip of the drink. "Mm..." Break pondered the question. There were so many answers to that, but he fished around for the proper one to fit the moment and chuckled a little. "...this, actually. Spending time with someone and eating sweets together in front of a fire." He finished his drink with a sigh. "It's like you knew what I enjoy."

Vincent smirked softly against the slight sleepy feeling he had while resting against the Hatter like this. It was almost as if everything that had happened between them to make them despise each other in the past, had suddenly melted away, even though Vince hadn't forgotten his plan to make Break suffer. For right now, just for the moment, he could pretend he wasn't just going to crush him later. Perhaps, doing this whole getting to know each other better thing, had been a mistake. No, no it wasn't. He wanted to know how to best crush him right? He had to get to know him better if he was to succeed. "My, I had no idea the Hatter was such a romantic." He purred at him, letting his arm wrap around his waist once again, nuzzling his nose into his shoulder. "You smell like candy."

He pulled back after a moment and grabbed the other man's chin, turning his head towards him and letting his finger stroke just a bit over the soft skin. "What I enjoy most, is seeing your expressions change, how the light hits your face, seeing you breathe…think, react." There was just a hint of a smirk there upon his lips, though he was trying to keep the smile. He'd never been good at _really_ smiling. "All so beautiful every last one."

The albino nearly laughed. He? A romantic? Most things he did involved providing others with laughter or just annoying them, perhaps sometimes a bit of both. Nothing was romantic about it. Though he did, admittedly, enjoy those types of things, despite the fact that he really shouldn't. Even sitting here with Vincent and relaxing together was dangerous for him. Break had to keep his priorities in order, but that was growing increasingly more difficult with the blonde nuzzling into him and murmuring things. "Well, you know me. I do eat a lot of the stuff." he joked lightly, eye closing in contentment. Suddenly, he was directed to look at Vincent and his eye opened again, focusing on the other's blurry face as best he could. What the Nightray said then made his grip over himself loosen just enough to gain a soft hint of red in his cheeks. Good god, was Xerxes blushing? He had no idea how to react to such a comment, but managed a smile after a pregnant pause. "...Vincent is very good with words." Did he really think that? Did he honestly watch Break just to see his expressions shift and the light move across his face? The thought was a little flustering, really.

The blush that dusted over the soft pale skin was all the reward he could have ever asked for, even Aida didn't blush this beautifully and he actually found that he preferred Xerxes' company. Behind closed doors, Vincent despised women; Echo was proof enough of this theory with others, the maids knew all too well, he wasn't the kindest master. He could feel as if the world around them had melted away and they were alone on the world, as if nothing else mattered, but this moment in time. Listening to Break state that he was good with words, only made him grip onto his smile a bit better, some of the fakeness melting away to reveal a thinner but decidedly more true grin. "Ah? I always thought so too." He joked, not really meaning it. Honest truth be told, Vincent hated himself more than he could ever hate anyone, hated his own smile, his own laugh, his dumb lies. He hated everything. Claiming that he was protecting and doing this all for a brother that didn't give him the time of day; yeah he was an idiot. "I'm surprised how well we get along when we aren't at each other's necks." He commented truthfully, hugging Break around the shoulders in spite of his need to keep himself away emotionally.

The blush didn't last long and Break soon slipped back on his easy-going smile, all too used to going into this state much like a turtle and his shell. Though, the softness of the moment and the way Vincent's smile suddenly appeared twenty degrees warmer made him feel a bit guilty about acting so guarded, so he made up for it with a gentle laugh. Break set aside his glass and voluntarily lay his head on Vincent's shoulder to move closer to him, determined to move out of his comfort zone a bit. Truth be told, he needed to let lose more than anything else, but the tight reins he kept on himself prevented him from doing that. It would take a lot of patient prodding to get him to leave his comfortable shell behind. "Well, we are both gentleman." Break said, adding mentally that they were also way too similar. "I'm not really that surprised." After a small pause, he let out a sigh and his eye slid shut again as he admitted something quietly. "...you remind me a lot of myself, you know."

Vincent had to roll his eyes a bit at that, lifting his head finally, and letting out a sigh as he pushed himself up from the comfortable spot beside the fireplace. "You assume we're a lot alike, but are we really?" He questioned of the other, moving around to glance at all the sweets. Pondering as he did so, picking up one of those cake lollipops that Break loved. "It's an interesting idea to be sure, though may not be entirely true." Turning back towards the Hatter, he kept his gaze level, and his expression free of anything else than sheer amusement. Comparing the two of them wasn't farfetched, though Vince didn't want to be too honest in admitting that aside a few details, yes, they were very much alike. "I always thought the hatred ran deep between us due to my brother." He threw out into the open, watching Break closely.

Break was jolted out of his comfortable position against Vincent and blinked his eye open again, slightly off-put as he sat up straight. It was as if the tender moment had been cut with a pair of scissors. He examined the other for a moment and sighed, leaning back against the couch and splaying himself across it more casually, legs hanging over one arm. "I'd say so, yes. Not exactly alike, but very similar." He paused at the mention of Gilbert and tilted his head. Really? Was that what Vincent thought the fighting had been about? His mouth curved into a slight smirk and he chuckled. "Ah...no, no. That wasn't the reason at all." Break turned his gaze toward the fire dancing over the logs in the fireplace. "...things you do and choices you make remind me of mistakes I've made in the past. I...suppose it's like having my former self come back to mock me. That's why I've been so wary of you. It's a rather stupid and selfish reason...in all honesty."

Listening to that explanation really caught him off guard. So Break wasn't after his beloved Gilbert? This plan couldn't have been all a waste was it? A scoffing huff left him, before he crossed his arms over his chest, and turned on his heel. "I am not you." He reminded the Hatter irritated, not so much at Break, as at the fact that he had gotten the wrong impression this whole time and felt betrayed by his own mind. The psychotic man did not like having his views changed, even a little, if it meant the reins were out of his hands. Vincent hated not being in control of his own actions, hated not understanding things; he wasn't much of a prodigy was he? For a moment he considered his options, his words were going to be formed just so, this needed to be perfect. "I always thought it was because I poisoned the girl, Lady Sharon." How could he not bring this into account either? "That you would not forgive my existence on the earth so long as you lived, what happened to eliminating me?"

Vincent was suddenly defensive and Break felt the atmosphere dissolve completely. He sighed at the loss, closing his eye and letting himself flop backwards to lie on his back on the couch, arms folded behind his head. "Of course you aren't me, Vincent. It would be a tragedy if you were." He stated calmly, yet truthfully. One thing he would never wish on anyone was, having to live his life in the same way he had. The mention of Sharon made him pause for a moment in his thoughts before letting out a quiet hum, a somewhat dreary tune leaving his lips. "When one is upset, one says things he doesn't mean." Break replied softly as his answer. After a minute, he decided it was probably better if Vincent heard the actual words from his lips, so he added. "...I forgive you for that incident, Vincent. I forgave you a while ago."

The blond had _not_ expected to hear that from his mouth. Never in a million years would he have expected to hear 'I forgive you' from Xerxes of all people, without having an explanation as to why, or what had possessed him: he moved back across the floor to where Break lay outstretched, bending down and putting cold steel to his neck; his scissors had become his best friends over the years. "I could kill you right now and you wouldn't be able to stop me." He stated darkly, watching Break's reaction carefully. He wanted to see just how deep this new promise to give him the benefit of the doubt really was. How strong were Break's beliefs in people being not as they appeared? Pressing down on the scissors a bit, he was careful not to split skin, but it was enough to make most people worried for their necks. The light in the room was probably casting a half shadow over his suddenly dark face, he wondered if he really did resemble a monster as people often stated.

The hatter felt cold metal against his neck and actually smiled Vincent's scissors against his skin. The world was back in balance once more, wasn't it? He wondered if he'd actually preferred it off-kilter. Those warm moments with the other had been nice. "Mm. You could." Break said, continuing to hum his little tune, not even bothering to open his eye or so much as flinch. A bit of his own darkness seeped out a bit as a grin crossed his features. "I wonder what's stopping you."

Slowly, the darkness resided, leaving a feeling of satisfaction. Here he was, pressing his scissors against his foe's neck, and all he was doing was questioning what was stopping him. An area of his mind just screamed out finish him, but instead, he pulled the scissors away and dropped them to the floor precariously. His friends had no use in this place for now. To be honest, he wondered why he had stopped too, but justified it by saying that it wasn't time to end Break just yet. "Congratulations." A bright smile crossed his face as he leaned down to peck the Hatter on the cheek, "You really do have some sort of faith left." Even if he knew the man had totally just thought he was in for it, it was still fun to pretend that he had known all along he wouldn't really harm him.

Soon enough, the cold steel left his neck and he heard a soft thud as the instrument hit the carpeted floor. Only then did Break open his eye and his smirk softened back into a smile. Vincent had just earned more of his trust. "Oh Vincent, you wound me~" Break teased, immediately back to his usual self, placing a hand on his chest in dramatic mock hurt. "Even an old man can have faith in people!"

Watching the Hatter revert back into his usual self, Vince chuckled, and leaned forward until their noses were pressed against one another's softly. "That's quite a first, not many have faith in me." But Break had passed by not lashing out at him when he had placed the scissors to his neck; he had simply calmly asked why he was hesitating to finish him? He passed the first test. That was more than he could say for a lot of other people; though the Hatter had proven time and time again, just how insane he truly was. Reaching back, he grabbed one of the cake lollipops and waved it tantalizingly in the other's face. "Aren't you going to have any?"

Perhaps this reaction was much better than what he'd figured Vincent probably would have liked to do. The blonde loved to use those scissors and Break knew that he had to be handled a certain way in order to get him to put his favorite object down. He'd purposely gone along with the entire thing, too. Partly because he did have faith in Vincent and partly because the darker part of himself didn't really care if he was killed at the hands of this man. But he wasn't about to admit that to anyone, not even himself. Vincent's nose was brushing his and he narrowed his eye with a slight smile, playing along with it. "Well I'm not 'many', am I?" The albino purred softly, before his attention was grabbed by the cake-pop and his expression lit up like a kid in a candy shop. "Of course! How could I refuse after all you went through to do this for me?" Break was about to reach for the lollipop but paused, considering something, then gave Vincent a smug look and parted his lips, pointing at his mouth in a 'feed me' gesture.

Vince stared at him for a moment or two before considering something himself, leaning down and chastely kissing him on the forehead before shoving the lollipop into his mouth slowly; taking care not to choke him. This had to be done correctly! He wouldn't have any less. He settled for that and laid out on his stomach beside Break, not feeling particularly violent, although the urge to shove a cupcake into his face was really strong, he resisted it. For now. Everything was nice and calm right now, he felt he needed to enjoy this moment while he could, even if it wasn't completely real. He would just keep telling himself that, keep reminding himself. He had to. "My, I got you hooked on those didn't I?" he asked in an amused tone, watching him inhale it.

Break squinted at the forehead-kiss, not having expected it, but accepted the cake-pop regardless. He took the stick once Vincent let go and chewed on the cake, eye closing again happily. These lollipops were always amazingly delicious to him, considering they were both cake and candy, the best of both worlds! Break nodded in answer to Vincent's question, eating to his heart's content almost like a young child. He could enjoy himself while this lasted, in fact, he was determined to. It wasn't often that he was allowed to indulge like this.

The blond stared at him as he continued to eat away at the pop, hearing the unmistakable sound of a thunder clap overhead, Vincent loved rainy days the most because it gave the perfect excuse to stay at home and cuddle up by the fire. Admittedly, he hadn't thought he would be here cuddled up next to Xerxes Break, but it was still better than being alone. Perhaps someday—he stopped himself before he got too far into that thought, smacking it away a second later. There would be no someday. There shouldn't even be a 'them' in the first place, that was just preposterous, ludicrous wasn't it? Glancing over at Xerxes again, he found his power over the situation slipping just a bit. Suddenly wrapping his arms around the silver haired man's neck and curling into his side with a purr. Determined.

Thunder rolled and Break mentally laughed at the complete predictability of the situation. Here they were, cuddling by a fireplace, and it just so happens to storm so he would just so happen to stay overnight. Though, it wasn't an unfavorable idea. Vincent hugged his neck as he finished his last bite of cake and flicked the stick away, one arm curling around the blonde as well. This was comfortable and Vincent was warm; it was like taking a bite from the forbidden fruit. He wasn't allowed to care for anyone, let alone have one special person in his life. Simply having friends had been out of the question for a while now until he just started to classify a select few people as 'maybe' friends. Maybe. It was amusing because he found himself wanting to stay instead of leave and he knew those kinds of feelings weren't meant for him. A soft chuckle escaped his mouth and Break closed his eye. At this moment, he didn't care. He wanted to be a spoiled brat for once and get what he wanted. "...seems like a storm's starting."

The blond didn't even lift his head to acknowledge it. "Let it." Came the cool reply, though inside his mind, he meant more than the one brewing outside. Something inside him was giving him a warning, for now he ignored it in favor of snuggling closer to the man he apparently still hated inside, but it was hard to feel those feelings of disgust when he was finding one person to at least sort of accept him, something he wasn't allowed to feel for the longest time. Vincent, like Break, had forced himself to not indulge in anything he wanted, too afraid of what the consequences may have brought…or rather what unpredictability might do to his carefully thought out plans. His hand curled into Break's shirt and he heard another roll of thunder, a smirk forming over his lips. "You are just noise." He told it, as if mocking the storm outside, even though he didn't care much for lightning.

As Vincent relaxed, Break did as well, being a creature that was greatly influenced by his surroundings and those in his presence. He had filled the role of entertainer, clown, comedic relief and crowd pleaser for so long that it was only natural for him to play off the emotions of those around him and determine how he should act based on that. Though, surprisingly enough, he also was relaxed enough to simply lay here with Vincent, without it being an act. This was new, yes, but something he enjoyed. Break's lips gently pulled his mouth into a smile and he let both arms wrap around Vincent then, nuzzling into his shoulder as if he were a teddy bear. Emily, still hanging onto his shoulder this whole time, had been silent throughout everything. For once, he was glad of it. "...I wonder if I'll be able to get home tonight...I might be stuck here~" Break suggested smoothly, to see what Vincent would say.

The Nightray quirked a brow before glancing over at the window, the rain streaked down it as if the world was crying again, this time he found it amusing rather than depressing. He didn't pull away this time, merely staring over at the glass before turning his back towards the Hatter, and nuzzling under his chin. "Hm, perhaps you should spend the night then." He replied, knowing that the other had been curious as to what he would say, and not really against it considering it conformed to his plan perfectly. He was nothing if not adaptable to his situation. He let his fingers lace into Break's soft silver hair, slowly feeling through it without touching too close to his socket. He didn't want to startle the other into thinking he was up to something. "Hm, normally I'd suggest a guest room, but I think it'd be better if you slept in my room with me." Again, he was testing to see just how brave Break truly was.

Break silently agreed with Vincent's suggestion, considering he was already thinking of it anyway, relaxing further as they snuggled, not finding the situation strange at all. At the feeling of fingers threading through his hair, the albino paused for a minute before nuzzling a bit closer and allowing it. It wasn't often that he let people other than Sharon touch his hair, but he was enjoying this too much. "...mm, well it makes more sense." Break said with a comfortable sigh, lifting one arm to gesture vaguely at nothing in the air. "It'd be more work to set up a guest room and I'm just a clown, you could shove me any place. I don't mind."

The Nightray huffed and gave Break an almost horrified look at that. "I most certainly cannot!" There was the hospitality of the Nightray house at stake! Plus not to mention it wouldn't set well with him to not keep a close eye on the Mad Hatter. "I am nothing but a gentleman!" He lied through his teeth, nuzzling his face into the man's shoulder. "Besides, I can't have the one being of my true affection sleeping just anywhere, it simply will not do." That still felt weird saying that, even if he took great care to make sure that every word that escaped sounded as honest as if he really meant it. He _didn't _mean it. Something inside him made him feel very uncomfortable every time he got to thinking like this. 'Stop thinking about it' he ordered silently.

Vincent's words just couldn't go with no reaction from the white-haired man; simply hearing such tender words used to describe him was so strange and yet made him feel a thick warmth inside. Break's smile faded into a softer one and he felt his face heat up again, to his inner dismay. Since when was Xerxes Break this bad at keeping up his calm act? "...well it's settled then." He said finally, figuring to hell with it. One night wasn't going to hugely alter his life or anything. He could manage. "I'll sleep with you."

There was a pause as Vincent had to keep his mind from sinking into the gutter, it didn't work too well, so he simply shoved it aside and gave Break something of a smile in return. "Excellent!" He chirped, throwing his arms around the Hatter's neck again and squeezing him tight. "For now let's enjoy ourselves." He stated, picking up another sweet that was close by, this one happening to be a piece of taffy and waving it teasingly in front of him. "Although…" he mused aloud settling down once more, candy still in his hand, "a bath sounds wonderful too, doesn't it Xerxes?" Who knew what had possessed him or why, but he wasn't inclined to care all that much at this given moment.

Break grinned, a bit amused at how much Vincent really enjoyed cuddling, and grateful at the same time. For once, there was someone who wouldn't mind if he wanted to snuggle out of nowhere, or just latch onto his arm and not let go, or lay his head in his lap and be petted. He gladly snuggled close to Vincent and opened his mouth again, this time for the taffy, still implying that he should be fed. It was fun and Vincent didn't mind. Though a small warning flag went up at the bath idea, Break was in too good of a mood to say no. "It does. You have no idea how much product Miss Sharon slathered me with before I came to meet you." The hatter pouted a little. "I want to wash it out of my hair and off my body."

There was just something about him pouting that made him want to pinch his cheeks. It was almost like watching a small child huff and puff about how he or she hated going to school, or how they hated the fact that arithmetic or reading wasn't to their fancy. He remembered all those days where he would sit with the tutor way back when, and he'd baffle them all with his knowledge, having constantly loved to read and write. He then brushed that aside before he got in too deep; sighing and pulling away. "That girl…she really _does_ treat you like you're a woman, doesn't she?" Who could honestly blame Sharon, Break was quite feminine for a male. Standing up, he dusted himself off in a brief way and offered his hand to Break. "I just like spoiling you like one."

Break almost pouted again as Vincent pulled away, not wanting to get up, but he sat up anyway and ran a hand through his hair. "Mm...not really...she just never had a sister to play dress up and tea party with, or anything like that." The Rainsworth servant broke into a fond smile. Sharon really was very much like a sister to him, even if it was wrong for him to feel that attachment. "I became the sister she never had. Even if I'm male." He chuckled and took the offered hand, standing and beaming a bit at Vincent. Out of nowhere, Emily came to life. "You shouldn't spoil a Hatter! He'll rot!" Break's smile disappeared and he scowled at her in protest. "Not true! I'm not a piece of fruit!" Emily snorted. "Nope, but a fruit CAKE maybe." That comment earned her a choke and she spluttered as Break grinned a little darkly. "Oh, of course. Cake is more like it."

The doll's obnoxious voice, caused the blond haired Nightray to sigh, he couldn't believe he had managed to forget about her until now. How he wished in a melancholy way that he could go back to those deluded five minutes ago. Watching Break choke her was most satisfying considering he felt the needed to do it himself whenever she opened her mouth; though watching the two interact and listening to that last sentence that came from Break's mouth caused him to laugh into his gloved hand. "He's not a cake." Vincent disagreed, wrapping an arm around the Hatter's shoulders. "However, he's sweet like one." If anything, he could pretend that none of it mattered, and even though he didn't want to admit it, this wasn't –too- bad.

Break was satisfied with choking her as well, having enjoyed the silence and having just him and Vincent spending time together without her butting in. Emily continued to make distressed noises as he smiled and leaned against the blonde, still choking her. "Aww, Vincent flatters me~" he purred playfully, only letting go of the doll to hug Vincent's arm. Break then plucked her from his shoulder and tossed her onto the couch, much to her dismay and protest. "Now, now, Vinny and I are going to take a bath and it would be rude of you to watch, Emmy-chan." The doll screeched. "Perverts! Horny old men!"

Vincent tossed his head full of blonde hair, giving something of a dark smile at the doll as she was tossed onto the couch. "Old?" he questioned, giving Echo a look before slowly leading Break out of the room. Echo slipped off her perch by the window seat and picked Emily up shoving her inside a drawer in Vincent's desk where she was muffled further between a couple of folders. In the meantime, Vince was leading Break down the hallway back towards his room. "I don't understand how you deal with her sometimes" he was saying as they walked side by side. "She's such a rude thing."

Xerxes chuckled, brightening a bit as he was led out of the room. "Mm...she says that all the time. Her excuse for everything is it's 'perverted' or 'only old men would do that' or something." And really, in all honesty, Break did get a little annoyed of hearing that all the time. He wasn't a perverted man who crept around like a pedophile. Far from it. "She is rude. It's terrible. It's all I can do to get her to behave when we're in formal areas!" He complained with a flap of his arms.

Listening to Break complain about his doll brought a chuckle from Vincent's throat, as he imagined Echo had just stuffed her in somewhere she couldn't hear her, his servant was quite resourceful and not nearly as lifeless as most made her out to be. She had her own times where she got annoyed at him, never once disobeying; although there were a few times she didn't listen. In all honesty, there were times he was glad she didn't. He'd be the first to admit; Echo had saved his skin more than once in the past, over something he didn't quite think about hard enough. Had she not gotten the antidote for Sharon before he had dropped it off the railing, Xerxes would be hunting him down like a ravaged wolf. "Ah, perhaps Echo can help teach her some manners." He teased, leading him into the room and past his bedroom itself, which was adorned in colors he found pleasing; much like his robe. Finally leading Xerxes into the huge Victorian style bathroom, the elegant black and beige colors mixing well; the bathtub itself was large enough to fit them both in and a good few more, with stairs that led up into it. He started scouring the cupboards and found some bubble bath, pouring the pleasant aroma of Jasmine into the bath, watching as bubbles instantly started to foam up from it.

As he followed after Vincent, Break began to rethink the idea of the bath. It had been implied that they would bathe together, which meant he'd have to bare himself in front of the other man. His underlying self-consciousness forbade him of such an activity, but his sense of intrigue about what the blonde's reaction would be contradicted it. Would he be able to risk hearing Vincent's disgust once he saw what was wrong with him? Break frowned inwardly, hoping what he thought was his chubby body wouldn't cause Vincent to say something cruel. He could take most insults with a grain of salt, but his weight was a sensitive subject. "Eh?" Break cursed the fact that he'd been too involved in his thoughts and hadn't heard what Vincent said. He was saved from having to ask him what it was as they arrived in the bathroom, and a beautifully elegant one at that. His eye wasn't able to focus on one thing specifically and he glanced around, face lighting up a little. One of the simple joys he loved was being pampered and taking a nice long bath in a luxurious tub. It was something that would never grow old. "Mm, beautiful bathroom. Is it just for your use usually?" The hatter asked, trailing a hand along the smooth marble of a sink countertop.

Vince's eyes shifted to the other man, he chuckled and hummed as he walked over and started undressing quietly. He wasn't as confident as he let on either, thus why he had poured the bubble bath into the tub; though watching Break ran a hand along the marble counter made him pause a second. "Why yes, this is my bathroom alone." All the Nightray children were given their own room, bathroom, and such. Ironically, even though he wasn't really a Nightray child he was pampered with the same luxury as one. Even though Elliot and Gil had resented it to an extent, he found he was very appreciative of such things; after all whom didn't love luxury?

He turned and slipped into the bath once his clothes had been disregarded and thrown into the hamper and gave Break a bit of a curious look. "Aren't you getting in?" he asked him, noticing that he seemed to be distracted with something.

Vincent began undressing and for a moment, Break watched as he unfastened his robe, then darted his eye away politely. They really were going to bathe together, weren't they? He was suddenly a lot more nervous about this than he originally had been, but he'd said he would and Break wouldn't back down from his word. He did stall a little, looking around the room until he heard water sloshing and Vincent's voice, upon which he glanced back at the other. "Ah, of course. I was simply admiring the decor." The man gave a smile to hide any feelings of anxiety he was having, then started undressing, perhaps a bit faster than necessary. He was eager to get quickly into that tub and under the bubbles before Vincent had a chance to examine him for an extended amount of time. Xerxes dropped his clothes in a neat little pile near the toilet and slipped into the tub with Vincent, his underfed body and sharply jutting ribs hidden by the mass of soapy froth. Once in the tub, Break realized how relaxing it really was and closed his eye, sighing pleasantly. "Mm, this is nice." he hummed as he rested his head back on the side of the tub.

Break's hesitation made him wonder if he really had misjudged him this entire time, though he watched with a keen and vague sort of look, pretending he was glancing at something else while the Hatter stripped himself of his clothes. Noticing his undernourished body sent a chill down Vincent's spine, he'd be the first to admit that he had had thoughts of suicide in the past by starvation but had never gone through with any of it. He'd almost stabbed himself with his scissors once but Lily had come in and sobbed that she didn't want him to die. The child was psychotic but clearly he was still needed by the Baskervilles. He watched Break relax against the side of the tub and thought about whether or not his mistress knew of this, and if so had she done anything about it? He didn't say a word about it for now though, pretending that all was well with them both and giving Break a playful splash of water, careful not to get the soap on his face so that it would sting his eye. When he was trying to be careful, he was actually quite gentle; a side of him others rarely saw.

Grateful that Vincent didn't make a comment, regardless of whether he noticed or not, Break was able to feel a bit more at ease. He felt a splash of water and grinned a bit, opening his eye to give Vincent a playful smile before splashing him back. One of Break's favorite activities was playing like a child. He'd be the first to admit that. After a few splashes back and forth, he took in a deep breath and closed his eye tight, eyesocket as well, and dunked himself under. While underwater, he blew a few bubbles up to the surface and then popped back up with a giggle, shaking the suds free from his hair and rubbing the water out of his face so he could open his eye without pain.

Vincent let out a soft hiss as Break splashed him back, though it turned into a laugh as they exchanged 'blows' with water, and watched as he disappeared under the foam. For a second he was a bit concerned as to what he might be doing before the bubbles came up and Break was once again at the surface, he had to give a bit of a squeal as he was hit with backlash from Break shaking his head free of water. Although he was left smirking when he noticed that he was rubbing the water from his face. "Such a child, Xerxes." The Nightray chuckled and leaned back against the tub as well, multicolored eyes staring up at the crafted ceiling with a bit of a contemplative look. "This is really strange, in all the years we've known each other, never thought I'd be anywhere near you let alone in a bath."

The bath was a lot nicer than Break would have thought and all of his nervousness had melted away as he played around with some bubbles, sculpting the foam into certain shapes. He stuck his tongue out at Vincent at the child comment, though not disagreeing. The single eye blinked twice upon hearing the last few words from the blonde's lips and he paused in making his rabbit-bubble-art to think. It was true, they were perhaps the two most unlikely people to be sharing a bath and yet here they were. Vincent confessing his feelings had changed a lot of things, hadn't it? Break himself was beginning to feel a bit of fondness for the other, even in the course of one night. Vincent Nightray was loveable when he wasn't trying to tear your stomach out of your body. "...mm, and yet, I don't think I'd want it to be any different." Break mused softly, fixing the bubble rabbit to look more like a mouse. "Strange as it may be."

Perhaps he should have calculated things a bit differently; things were going according to plan yes, but this was so risky that he was feeling as if he had put a little bit too much of himself into his plan, was it dangerous? Yes. Was he finding that he cared much about it anymore? No. Gilbert would never return his feelings, they were brothers. They may have shared a bond that was deeper than what most could imagine but there was also that sense; the all too relatable fact that it would be wrong to lay together, because unlike Elliot, they were indeed related directly through blood; born of the same womb. He batted those thoughts away with a hand, staring over at Break as he sculpted what looked like a miniature of Yamane with the bubbles. "And you're sure of this, Break?" he asked with a peculiar look on his face. Never once had he heard the man seem so sure of something in such a short amount of time, he may not have known Break personally, but he knew the man was a planner just as he was.

Break thought deeply as he molded the mouse's ears and tail in the soap, considering everything about Vincent's question seriously. The Nightray was trapped in an obsession just the same as Gilbert, though unlike the older brother, Vincent's adoration with Gil would never come to fruition. Gilbert was too absorbed in Oz's life and didn't see his brother as anything beyond a sibling, that Break knew. Vincent then, would be left with absolutely nothing as his obsession drifted further and further from his grasp. Break felt a small pang. He could identify with the feeling of being alone. And now, Vincent had confessed to having feelings for him, of all people. While Break didn't want to hurt anyone by forming relationships when he knew he didn't have much time left, or perhaps that was his excuse to keep from being hurt himself, he also knew how much even a little time would mean to Vincent. Closing his eye for a brief second, he nodded, then reopened it and plopped a bunch of suds on top of the mouse, starting to shape a hat. "Yes, quite sure." If there was anyone who needed care and affection it was Vincent and Break was all too willing to give him some and finally be able to have someone to care for without feeling as if he was destroying Vincent's future. Perhaps this was exactly what they both needed. The hatter suddenly smiled gently, a rare real smile that wasn't covered by layers and layers of acting, and beamed at the blonde across from him. "...I believe I'll accept your feelings, Vincent."

Vincent felt his eyes widen in shock at those last words and before he could even think to stifle it, it just popped out of his mouth. "What? Really!" He blushed a bit at his outburst and turned his head away, holding his other arm pinned against his frame, as he fought with the inner demon that was simply out for revenge. A strange knot had formed in his gut and he wasn't sure what it was from and when Break had stated that last thing, he had felt a strange flip in his stomach. Suddenly feeling sick, he slumped down a bit in the tub, his gaze returning to the man whom beamed back at him. "Mr. Hatter, what is wrong with you I wonder? No one else wants anything to do with me. I simply assumed you'd laugh and ignore my existence after this." He stated honestly, he'd been so utterly baffled. This was not at all whom he had thought the Hatter to be. In fact, the very thought of this actually working out between the two of them scared him, but he had a job to complete. His resolve was hardened and the moment of inner turmoil ended. He smiled back at him after a few moments. "That means a lot."

Vincent's surprise was actually endearing and Xerxes broke into a soft laugh that he hid behind a hand, eye sparkling in amusement. The poor man hadn't even thought he'd return his feelings and yet had gone through all this just to have one night together? Break felt a spot in his heart open up that had been closed for so long he'd forgotten what it was like to feel it. In answer to the not entirely serious question, he chuckled and finished forming the hat he knew so well on top of the mouse. "Oh, there are so many things wrong with me~ I'm Mad you know!" He giggled like an idiot and sunk down into the tub some more, lifting up a slender leg to poke at his bubble sculpture with a toe. "Even crazy old men can have feelings, though~ I'm surprised you even care for me at all. You could score a much more attractive person than I~" Break joked, though being partially honest. He would constantly be amazed at the fact that someone could feel this way toward him. It was a warm pleasant feeling and made him wiggle a little under the bubbles unnoticeably. Goodness, he felt like a school girl!

Break's laugh made him flush and turn his head away, he felt like Gilbert right now, with this ridiculous blush over his cheeks. It was absolutely unacceptable! He, Vincent Nightray, should not be blushing. This was not supposed to be in his vocabulary. He huffed a bit as Break stated that he was mad, yes he was crazy alright, Vincent would hand him that much. He got a hold of himself once again and listened to the last statements, a smirk pulling his lips. Oh he could deal with this. For a few moments he had been thrown off course, though in the end his outburst had only made the lie more believable. Once upon a time, Vincent had wanted to be like Aida, in the sense that she was cute and loveable. He thought perhaps if he could be like her, others might smile at him, but as time progressed; he only wanted to taint her innocence. He was jealous of her good natured ways, though as he delved deeper, he realized she was just as sinful and bitchy as the rest of the women on this wretched planet. So he led her on with false promises, hating himself the entire time, because his lies were to protect himself and the brother that would never love him in return.

After a while, he smiled at the Hatter, leaning over and doing the unspeakable. He pressed his lips to the man's mouth and some part of him wanted to immediately jerk backward, though he held firm and adjusted to it, running a hand up into the man's hair and relaxing into the kiss. He felt it was a better suited answer than anything he could have said, given the circumstances.

Break had started humming to himself and slowly destroying his bubble art with his foot when he felt the water move and focused more on Vincent as the other leaned over him. His eye widened as he realized what the other was about to do and before he knew it there were lips on his. At first, Break's face colored a decent shade of red in mere surprise, but he slowly relaxed and began to return the kiss gently, one hand lifting to rest on Vincent's shoulder. Fingers threaded into his hair and he closed his eye, the feeling pleasant and welcome, and leaned forward slightly to press a little more into the connection. Vincent's lips were warm and held a subtle undertone of command that was invigorating. He tasted decidedly of citrus with a hint of vanilla: a very enticing sort of flavor that urged Break to want more.

Xerxes' kiss was a lot more gentle than what he would have expected, his own eyes closed after a few moments, and he held it there letting his lips move gently over the others before he pulled back, breaking it before they got too carried away. He felt something peculiar but ignored it, wrapping his arms around Break's shoulders and nuzzling under his chin, almost like a cuddly kitten that wanted more attention. In spite of his sheer tenancies to be cruel and unforgiving, he could be utterly warm and loving in his moments of neediness. There was just something about the whole current situation that made it easy to pretend that they weren't living a total lie. What Vincent didn't know though, was his feelings, may not have been all a lie.

Vincent's kiss was what sold him completely to the idea of the two of them becoming something. Break knew there was a possibility of Vincent having faked the entire thing, but he really didn't feel someone who hated him would go through so much for him, would make those expressions and would kiss with this much sincerity. Then again, he could also be completely wrong, considering he had little to no experience in this area, but Break went with his gut feeling on this particular decision. He was willing and a little eager to explore the newfound fondness he had for the blonde, wanting to make this count and refusing to simply use Vincent. This had to be real because he was opening up a part of himself he hadn't allowed anyone to see in his life. As Vincent snuggled against him, the hatter buried his face in his silky hair and let out a soft purr of contentment.

Vince stayed there for a moment or two longer, listening to Break make that contented noise, and he often wondered just how he could do that. Finally, after a few minutes longer of basking in the warmth of another's embrace, he pulled himself up and took the task at hand a little more seriously. He would have washed Xerxes himself but he didn't think either of them were quite up for that just yet, so instead cleaned himself and rinsed off, humming the entire time as he did so. Bath time was always a nice content time to relax and not have to worry about charades or contracts, or alliances and betrayals. After he was finished washing, he pulled himself up and got them both a couple of giant fuzzy towels from the cupboard, wrapping his around himself, and helping Break out of the tub wrapping him up and playfully giving a rough rub to the top of his head with the towel. He turned and left the room quietly, calling for Echo. When she appeared, Vincent told her to go and fetch Xerxes some clean pajamas that would fit him, drying off and changing into his own.

He wore a simple night outfit, blue in color surprisingly, and a contrast from his usual black and gold. Believe it or not he actually did wear other colors on occasion. He sighed and took the night wear from Echo when she remerged with the nightgown of simple white and purple, handing it over to Break along with some clean underwear she had found. He then set to brushing out his gold hair, settled on the side of the bed and focusing on it. He glanced at Break when he was finished and set the brush down on the table next to the bed. Smiling with his eyes closed at the Hatter, "You look rather sweet in those pajamas." He commented, actually finding that he meant it for once. Break did look rather adorable in them.

Break enjoyed the warmth and closeness for a while longer before they pulled away from each other to scrub clean. He switched from purring to humming, this time a decidedly more upbeat and happy tune than earlier, rubbing a loufa over his skin. Once finished, he stepped out and gratefully took the towel, still wanting to hide himself from Vincent for the most part, and snuggled in it. He laughed as the other ruffled his hair roughly and then finished drying himself off as Echo fetched him a nightgown. Taking it from Vincent's hands with a thankful smile, he quickly changed into the soft material and then joined Vincent in the bedroom. The blonde's comment almost sent a flush to his cheeks but he managed to keep it down and beamed back at him. "Really? I like how blue looks on you. It compliments your hair very nicely~"

The Nightray blinked in total surprise, glancing down at his blue pajamas before chuckling, and waving a hand in a brushing off sort of way. "I do occasionally wear different colors." He admitted, though it seemed no one ever saw them unless of course they were Echo and his house staff, but no one ever commented him if they worked here. It was not a servant's place to say anything unless directly asked here in the Nightray manor. Vince found himself rolling his eyes a bit before he patted the bed next to himself. "Well come lay down then, Xerxes." He felt just a bit nervous at that, he had never shared his bed with anyone, ever. Contrary to what others may have thought about him, his conscience for undying love with his brother, had not allowed him to share a bed with anyone else. When Break hopped in, he scooted closer and wrapped his arms around the older man, nuzzling into him like he had in the bath. Though this time, he was able to fully appreciate the warmth and felt his exhaustion from the long day, and was fighting falling asleep.

Break simply smiled warmly at him; the novelty of being able to say things like this without meaning it in a joking manner had yet to wear off. Compliments were things he could come up with on a whim, but rarely allowed himself to give in a serious manner. "I like it. I think you'd look nice in purple too." he said absently, then wandered over to slip into bed next to Vincent. He, too, never shared a bed with another, except for once and a while coming over to sit with Sharon when she had a nightmare, but that hardly counted. The Nightray's warmth again invited him closer and Break curled up with the other, completely content to be his teddy bear and burying himself in the security of his arms. Who knew that Vincent Nightray of all people would one day be snuggling him and falling to sleep in the same bed? It was amazing. The hatter sighed softly as he felt sleep tug at his body and soon succumbed to it for the first time in decades with someone else in bed with him.

Break had fallen asleep first. Vincent's eyes were droopy, but he was all too good at fighting sleep, unless of course his chain was involved. The more stubborn half of him wanted to pull away and slip out of the bed to muse around the manor for an hour or two longer, but with Break cuddled against him; he dared not move for fear of waking the man. He knew Break wasn't _that _heavy of a sleeper. After what seemed to be hours of fighting himself, which was really only a fifteen minutes or so longer, he finally too lost himself to the folds of sleep, curled up with the enemy.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading, the next chapter is in progress, so hang in there!<strong> _**Reviews make us happy.**_


	3. The Treasure Thief

**Hello lovely readers. Akuma here again, sorry for the disgustingly long wait. I have been away for personal reasons and am much better now. I am continuing this story, for those of you whom have waited patiently for it to continue. I apologize oh so much. I lost my co-writer as well, so Break will seem a bit different. I hope everyone enjoys the story still. **

**And thank you to those whom have waited patiently for it to come back. I shall update more frequently. **

**And without further adieu. Chapter 3.**

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><p>When Vincent awoke the following morning, mismatched eyes flickering, the last thing he expected to see there was that man's face, and when he did he almost hissed and reached for the pair of scissors on the table next to him. Though as he watched Break stir, he remembered his mission, and instead smiled at the unsuspecting man; whom now eyed him grumpily with his only visible eye. "Ne Vincent-kun, what are you doing up?" He asked suspiciously, glancing from his hand that was near the stand to the scissors, a smirk crawling up his face, one that sent chills down the Nightray's spine. "Ah, were you planning on stabbing me in my sleep, <em>dear<em>?" He asked with a sickeningly sweet tone, what was that foul taste on his lips? Vincent watched as the Hatter licked at the velvet petals as if trying to deduce something for himself. Oh that's right; he'd kissed him last night. Was it wrong of Vincent to want to turn and throw up now because of the memory? The enchanting night had ended and he was sure now that he was locked in a battle of wit with a man just as smart as himself. In order to kill him once and for all, he'd have to outwit him.

"Of course not Xerxes," Reaching for the candy just adjacent to his scissors and handing it over to the pale haired man, he offered him a bright and seemingly sincere smile. "I just thought you would like to start your day with something sweet." The Hatter stared at him quizzically before plopping the strawberry hard candy into his mouth and chewing away happily, well as happy as he could be in the presence of a rat, and a rat that very may have well stabbed him if he hadn't of woken with him. Vincent did his best not to wrinkle his nose as he turned his attention back to the other side of the room; now that he had him here, now what? It wasn't that he had not thought this through, but he was at a loss as to what it was they should do today. "Hm, shall we check up on your beloved Sharon?" He noticed a flicker in Break's eyes then, was that malice he'd seen? He probably had never forgiven him for poisoning his mistress, this amused him; he had just enough ammo to turn this to his advantage.

Standing he got dressed in his usual black and gold robes, pulling on his heeled boots as he sat on the edge of the bed, it was then that he felt a weight against his back and realized the Hatter was leaning on him and staring over his shoulder. "Vincent-kun~" There was that sickeningly sweet tone yet again, and he felt cold limber hands sliding down his chest in a suggestive manner. "Wouldn't it be much more enjoyable to do something just the two of us~?" He was attempting to divert his attention from the Reinsworth manor. It was actually to the point he wished to turn around and laugh at him, instead he turned, and wrapped his arms around the Hatter's waist, once again shocked at how thin he truly was underneath any garment of clothing he chose to wear. "Ah?~"

Vincent ran his hand up the man's nightshirt and forced himself to lean closer, though with the mask, there was no way to tell that he was inwardly disgusted; that perfect mask that always stayed in place around this man. "We could do that if it is your wish, my love." Pushing the Hatter back against the pillows, he brought his lips down upon his once more and felt Break respond by clutching to him desperately and returning the kiss; a low moan escaped Xerxes as their lips remained connected and slowly tongues met and battled. He fought himself to remain as he was that disgusting overly sweet taste that belonged to this equally revolting old man.

Hips slowly bucked into the Nightray as they kissed and his hands caught the Hatter's hips, pushing him down roughly, earning a cry out of him. It was no cry of agony but of excitement as Break grabbed his collar, shoving him to the mattress and the blonde gasped himself as the albino bastard bit straight down on his collarbone. Break grinned down at him like the devil earning a soft glare from his 'partner' as he bunched up the robes around Vincent's hips. This was no act of lust, no act of love, nor desire; but a test of willpower for the blonde whom watched with quiet reservation as his lower half was yanked down just enough to reveal his shaft to the greedy man. "Let's play a game ne Vincent~?" The Nightray's breath caught in his chest as he realized that Break had not been wearing anything under that nightshirt after all and straddled him; he had to bite back a yell for him to stop before he felt hot walls close all around him. "Ah…so big~"

The Nightray gasped and tried not to moan helplessly as the other started riding him roughly, Break digging his nails in to his chest none too kindly and dragging them along his sensitive skin, causing angry red trails of blood to appear. Immediately this caused the blonde to mimic him, grabbing the man's hips and digging his nails in harshly in much the same way as he started to buck into him coarsely, forcing the Hatter to move his hips as he continued the brutal thrusts. The albino male above him panted quickly and unevenly as he threw his head back and rode out the waves of sadistic pain and pleasure as the rat moved harder and harder against him. "V-Vincent!" He gasped and grabbed the sheets as he was flipped over and his legs were over the other's shoulders, there was a predatory dark look about the blonde but he couldn't comment on it because of his body being assaulted. "A-Ah!"

This was hot. The man beneath him was so hot, his insides nearly burned him up, and he was tighter than he had expected. He groaned and thrust faster into the man, earning more mewls and gasps; moans and screams. It wasn't that Break was a particularly loud lover; it's just that Vincent was choosing to be _that _rough. Still even as he expected the Hatter to pull away and ask him to stop, Break wrapped his legs around his waist and moved his hips even harder into Vincent's as gasps escaped and he demanded of him, more. It didn't take long before they were both nearing their limit and the Hatter clutched to him even tighter as their hips rolled in unison. With desperate cries of the Nightray's name and the persistent stroking of Vincent's hand along his own length, Break finally came collapsing back against the mattress and panting heavily, as if he had just ran five miles. Vince thrust a few more times into him, releasing and collapsing at his side.

"Mn…you are definitely good in bed~" Xerxes stated though there was a hint of cynicism in his eyes, he still wrapped his arms around the blonde, and kissed him passionately as if he was really in love with him.

Morning sex was definitely not the way the Nightray had expected to start. As he stepped into the shower and washed the stench of the Hatter from his body, he could hear laughter and popped his head out of the shower to see Break sitting, naked, upon his counter. The laughter stifled when he saw him and that smirk tugged his lips once more as Xerxes hopped off, gave him a playful wink, and just hopped right into the shower with him. Yes, he was definitely testing him. He'd acted so sweet and loving last night and it was then that Vincent realized he'd been jilted. The Hatter was playfully playing along but might have already figured him out, this made him slightly uneasy, as he watched Break scrub at his body. "Didn't have enough~?" Break teased as he watched the other's eyes wander his body, poking him in the nose.

Vince chuckled and waved it off. "I'm fine~ once is enough for the morning." He seemed to make a suggestion as he kissed up his neck to his ear, licking the shell, before harshly biting down on it and earning a hiss from the albino male. Break gave him a less than thrilled look before popping another candy into his own mouth and chewing greedily, Vince could hear that crunching that ground on his ears unpleasantly. "Really, Mr. Hatter, in the shower?"

"I'm hungry." Break nearly pouted at him, wrapping his arms around his neck, and just to be a jerk deliberately kissed the other deeply and shared the sweet treat with him. Once again, Vincent refrained from gagging; how he despised that overly sweet texture but after a few moments was able to adjust himself once again and act as if he were truly enjoying it. They stayed like that until Break finally broke it off and slipped away, returning to his scrubbing, giving Vince a coy smile. How he managed to pull off those expressions, the Dormouse would never know. He was in a less than thrilled mood however, seeing as Xerxes had succeeded in soiling him, in taking that one thing away from him that he had been saving for Gilbert. Now the Hatter was in an overly cheerful mood as if he knew the extent to which he had tortured Vincent with their 'lovemaking'. _'I despise you.' _He longed to say, but kept it to himself, instead smiling at the man even though there was underlying venom in his veins. Like a cobra, Vincent Nightray waited, waited patiently for the Hatter to make one wrong move; before it would all come crashing down around them. The snake would strike and the old man would die; painfully.

Break chuckled as the hot steam seemed to create a small sauna between them, his arms wrapping around the Nightray from behind, as his tongue snaked out and tasted his skin. Playfully, he wrapped himself around the other and brought his lips to the blonde's ear, so that he would hear these words clearly. "You're mine, Vincent Nightray." A sharp jolt and the blonde glanced over his shoulder, hiding his alarm well, instead giving the Hatter a confused look. Watching him pop another candy into that big mouth of his and refraining from sneering. "Well I've been thinking," Break continued as he watched the other's eyes clearly, his voice was absolute, and still held that feigned innocence; "Since we just made love~ It's only to be expected that we would become an official couple ne?"

Vincent took a deep breath to calm himself hoping Break would take it, as an exclamation of surprise rather than panic. He rested his hand against the wall and tried not to hyperventilate. Even though it had been his plan to draw the Hatter into his web in the beginning, to render him completely helpless, he hadn't expected Xerxes to take everything so seriously. "Y-You mean like …real couples?" Break gave him a bit of a look before he busted out laughing and wrapped his arms around the Dormouse.

"Of course Vincent-kun~!" The Hatter tilted his head to the side and gave him one of those devious smirks, Xerxes never smiled; he was far too much like himself for that. "Unless you'd rather skip through all of that and skip right to getting married?" Really he should just choke the Hatter with a shampoo bottle, shove it down his throat so he couldn't breathe-lips captured his own and suddenly all thought was drawn blank. He kissed back despite his disgust and ran his fingers into that soft silver white hair.

Composure; gain it damn you! Vincent chuckled against the Hatter's lips as if he were really amused. "Come now, would you really skip directly to being wed?" This was risky, oh so risky, he felt he was walking into overly dangerous territory. "Not that I would mind but we shouldn't push things too far ahead. Getting overly hasty could be a big mistake, Mr. Hatter."

Although he would never willingly tie himself to this rat, he was an old man, with limited time and limited life. So why not mess with him a little before he went? This boy that had caused him so much grief when he had targeted his precious Ojou-sama, had taken from him his beloved truth, and then had shamelessly made it apparent that he was anything but an ally. If Vincent wanted to steal things from him, then two could play at this game, and quite frankly he had a lot more experience in such things than the poor boy did. Vincent would learn a thing or two by the time they got done. "Nonsense! I think it's a splendid idea!"

Vincent had to really reign himself in but managed a warm smile in spite of his revulsion to the idea of being legally bonded to this man. "Are you sure you wish to rush straight into things like this, Xerxes?" A last attempt to save himself from the pit that he was being all but thrown into; hopefully the man would see just how ridiculous the notion was and decide against it.

Break wasn't having it. "I am more than sure. I have limited time here on Earth, Vincent-kun. I wish to spend as much of it with you as possible." He tightened his grip on the blonde; his mask was much more in place than poor Vincent's at the current moment, as he smiled so brightly as if the thought of marrying the "sewer rat" would bring him nothing but the upmost joy. "So let us wed and not worry anymore over the subject ne?" Vincent glared at the man but when Break smirked he smiled brightly and leaned in, kissing him on the lips, running his hands through his hair and down his body; listening to the Hatter purr filled him with deep sickening anger. As they kissed he could feel Xerxes' grip getting tighter and tighter around him until they were staring at one another, and a slow cold smile broke over the Hatter's lips. "Besides~ the phrase 'Till death do us part' has a very divine ring to it, wouldn't you agree, Vincent-kun?"

There was something about those words and something about the way that Break looked at him...that made Vincent incredibly uneasy just then. Nonetheless, he smiled and pretended as if everything were fine, and silently cursing himself leaned to kiss him again this time more passionately. When he finally pulled away, he rested his hand against the cold shower wall and nodded in secret contempt. "Till death do us part, Mr. Hatter."

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><p><strong>I apologize for the shorter chapter but this was done in a few short hours. I wanted to update to let people know I had returned, so I hope you enjoyed the chapter and within a couple of days I should post Chapter 4. <strong>

**Thank you for waiting so patiently.**


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